Lazette Gifford's Blog, page 47

A Last Look at 2017

(I wrote this yesterday but didn't have a chance to post until today.  Welcome to 2018!  Let us hope it is a good year!  One note:  It is no warmer.  This is not a picture from this year, though!)

Welcome to New Year's Eve, 2017.  First off, it is COLD. Seriously cold.   The temp right now is -9f with a -32f wind chill, and that's in the middle of the day.  It is going to drop to -21f temp

Flash Fiction # 283 -- Dusty & Friends/28 (End)

"Dusty!  Dusty!"  a little voice shouted at her ear.  "Wake up! They're here!"Dusty sat up, grabbing at anything she could use as a weapon.  How had the orcs gotten so close?  Where were they?  Where was she?Blue stood on her pillow leaping up and down.  She looked around in fear --"Mama!  I can hear mama!"Well, that woke her from her rest.  Mama.  Big dragon and she would be looking for her

Flash Fiction # 282 -- Dusty & Friends/27

They pressed in as close to the gate as they could manage while the soldiers fought the orcs.  The orcs had seen her, though.  After that, the power of their yells and the pounding of their feet and hands unsettled the horses, and she couldn't get control of her frightened mount. Fox grabbed her and pulled her off one horse to his, but it was no better.  He got them both down to the ground and

Flash Fiction #281 -- Dusty & Friends/26

Where was Fox?  She suspected he was still trying to lead the orcs away, but then she saw another two join the rest of them and thought those might be the ones who had been following them.  Dusty feared that they had hurt Fox and she didn't know how to find him.  The best idea seemed to go back to where she'd last seen him, so she grabbed the bag back up and hurried away from the square.A

Flash Fiction #280 -- Dusty & Friends/25

Frantic birds had begun to gather in the tree above her.  Several dogs and even a few cats came at a run.  Dusty thought she saw rats and mice scurrying along the edge of the buildings.  They had all come to help her, but she feared they could do nothing more than the humans were doing."Go," she told them.  "Go and be safe!"They didn't want to scatter.  As Dusty started away, a few of the

Flash Fiction #279 -- Dusty & Friends/24

Dusty believed this was the best answer, but she found it challenging to ride forward in the mass of men and hope they reached the boat before the orcs saw her.  She held tight to the bag with Blue and hoped she got him into the craft, even if she didn't make it.  Fox would still see him to safety.Dusty looked up at the castle and felt a wave of desperation that almost made her break down and

Flash Fiction #278 -- Dusty & Friends/23

"Well, it could be worse," Rolad said.  He didn't slow but he didn't race headlong into the situation, either.  "The orcs are on the far side of the bridge so we won't have to fight our way through them and then cross the bridge.  On the other hand, as soon as they see Princess Destiny there will likely be a brawl.""There might be another way," Fox said.  He stood in the saddle and seemed to

Flash Fiction #277 -- Dusty & Friends/22

Commander Rodal asked questions as they rode along the path.  Dusty explained how she'd come to rescue Blue.  "I had thought we'd just run straight for the castle," she said with a sigh.  "Nothing has worked that simply."Fox took over the tale. The commander was pleased with all the details Fox gave about the number of orcs, their equipment, and other things the military would be happy to know

Flash Fiction #276 -- Dusty & Friends # 21

The captain yowled, the guards yelled, and Fox did his best to keep between them and Dusty while she worked recovered Blue who had leapt off the man and darted under the desk.  At least the baby dragon didn't try to run from her and scurried to her hand.By the time she'd crawled back out from under the desk another man had come into the room and looked rather startled at the scene.  "Captain

Flash Fiction #275 -- Dusty & Friends/20

Late in the morning she heard noises out in the fortress and hoped that meant the commander had returned.  There were a lot of shouts, but nothing that sounded dangerous. She even let Blue go up to the slit and look out."A lot of horses and men arrived," he said.  "They just got in through the gate." "That's good!" she said.  He darted back down to her."They didn't look very happy.""Those